Prince Sviatopolk
The church patron of Kiev is Archangel Michael and it was natural that a temple dedicated to Archangel Michael had to be built in the city. It was Kiev Prince Sviatopolk (1050-1113), the grandson of Yaroslav the Wise and whose Christian name was Michael, who started the construction of the cathedral in the very centre of the city on the Old Kiev Hill. The cathedral was surrounded by a monastery that was regarded as a family cloister of Sviatopolk's family. But the original name of the monastery was “St.Demetrius” to glorify the patron saint of his father, Prince Iziaslav. The cathedral domes were probably the first in Kievan Rus to be gilded, a practice that became regular with the passage of time and acquired for the monastery the nickname of "golden-domed" or "golden-roofed", depending on the translation.
Mongol invasion in 1240
During the Mongol invasion in 1240, the monastery is believed to have been ruined seriously. The Mongols damaged the cathedral and removed its gold-plated domes. The whole complex subsequently fell into disrepair and there is no documentation of it for the following two and a half centuries. By 1496, the monastery had been revived and its name was changed from St. Demetrius Monastery to St.Michael after its founder. Numerous restorations and enlargements took place in the 16th century; it gradually became one of the most popular and wealthiest monasteries in the country. The monastery enjoyed the patronage of Ukrainian Hetmans and other benefactors throughout the years. The monastery was reliquary donated by Hetman Ivan Mazepa. The chief magnet for pilgrims was the relics of Saint Barbara that had been brought to Kiev from Constantinople in 1108 by Sviatopolk’s wife and kept in a silver shrine. The relic attracted numerous pilgrims and was well known in Russian Empire.
Mass destruction of religion in Ukraine
After the revolution in 1917 a mass destruction of all religious institution started in the country. In 1934 when the authorities decide to move the capital of Ukraine from Kharkov to Kiev the destiny of the monastery was determined. The political centre of a capital had to be constructed on the lands that were occupied by the monastery. In 1934-1937 about 60 churches were demolished in Kiev. “We shall convert this monastic city into socialistic capital!” Only heroic efforts of some scientists saved some of the authentic mosaic and fresco parts from the cathedral before its destruction. The newly rebuilt St. Michael Golden-Domed Cathedral was officially opened on May 30, 1999. It belongs to Ukrainian Orthodox church of Kiev Patrirchate.
